Pertronix Ignitor III + NO SPARK issues

Try connecting it to your old coil.

I have to ask, did you install the rotor?

Here is what Pertronix says:


Since I have installed the Ignitor™ the engine won’t start.
What can I check?

The first step in troubleshooting involves answering a few questions.

* Do you have the correct kit for your application?
* Did the Ignitor install without any modification?
* Was the Ignitor installed according to the instructions?
* Did the engine run prior to the installation of the Ignitor?

If you answered "NO" to any of the previous questions, go back and correct the condition before proceeding. If the answer to these questions is “YES”, then review some additional common solutions to a no start condition.

* The position in which the Ignitor red wire is attached to is not supplying sufficient voltage.
* The air gap between the module and magnet sleeve is too great.
* The ground wire inside the distributor is not connected.
* The wire connections are not tight.
* The polarity is not correct.

Yes, i did try hooking up the old coil, with the ballast resistor. I tried every which way you could possibly imagine. I have tested the coil, primiary resistance is around 1.1 and secondary is around 6.50, or so. That seems like it should work, right? The original coil was around 1.4 and 9.00. So def different, but both seem to be within range of what they should.
The pertronix trouble shooting section is pretty lame to say the least. There is nothing for the new ignitor III, specifically. Just the general, follow the instructions type stuff. Which i did and have done before, as I have installed these things on other cars. The kit I have is for a ford V8 single point distributor, which is what I have, the coil was designed to match the III. I have checked the voltage to the coil and it is over 6volts, which is what they say it needs. So it is a mystery... and one that has used up my entire weekend and stopped my car from running. Which is beyond annoying. I honestly can not wait to speak with those clever folks at pertronix on Monday when they get there butts into the office. It is going to be a fun conversation, trust me.
Sorry for the rant... but again, if any one has some pointers, i have a few hours of light, before i have to give up and or get the car towed...

Best Jack

Jack

Make sure the Pertronics unit is mounted directly to the base plate on the distributor. I went through the same issue when I replace my old electronic ignition only to find there was an adaptor plate the ignition module mounted to. this was causing the pertronics unit to sit to high in the distributor and it was not reading the magnetic pickup as it spun.

We actually pulled the distributor to only find this out on the bench. Check that first.

Otherwise - it is simply two wires to the coil and 12v from the ignition. I actually ran a hot lead from the fuse box that powers the windows as this is a strong 12v source (Lance Nist's little trick). No need for the ballast resitor. If you have 12V to the coil, it should go.

good luck

Lee

Interesting... I took a look, to make sure I had removed everything, as per the instructions. And the base plate of the ignitor III, is the only thing in there. It is sitting snug on the inside lip of the Motorcraft dizzy. That said, it does actually look a little low. I mean it is mostly lined up, but the cam sits a little high. Needless to say, I could not get it to work. So went and got a new dizzy (faster than putting the old one back together), dropped it in, hooked up the old coil... and it fired first time. Ran like a dream. So something is wrong with the ignitor III, it clear does not work and they will be in for a fun phone call from me, tomorrow. I will see what they say, hopefully send me a new unit and or get my money back.

jack

A quick update and you guys may already know this. But trying to connect with a real human being at Pertronix, that isn't trying to sell you something, is like searching for the holy grail. needless to say i did not get to speak to anyone today... hopefully tomorrow I will hear back from someone.

Jack

Latest update. Finally got hold of a real person at Pertronix, it took, 8 phones, and 2 emails and 6 days. That said, they sent a new ignitor 3 module over night, which was nice. But i think the real problem with the ignitor 3 and corresponding flamethrower coil, is that they basically do not work with any voltage that is below 12v. I found a good site that discusses this, see url below;
http://theamcforum.com/forum/n...10306_post87223.html
I ended up wiring a direct 12 gauge line from the battery, using a relay, triggered from the original ignition switch line. It worked well and got the ignitor and coil the solid 12v that they need to work.
That and the ignitor plate that fits inside the stock motorcraft dizzy, needs to be shimmed (up) a little, to make sure the magnetic sensor lines up with the cam and thus works.
Net Net, a simple setup that is not quite sorted from the factory. But works well in the end, once you solve the mysterious of installation, yourself.

Good news!

You will most likely want to keep a spare unit with you in the car in case of a failure. It happens more often than you would think.

Mike